If you follow us, you know we have cats. A LOT of cats. And dogs. And honeybees.
You could do worse than to be a living being that we take care of.
We've had the occasional outdoor cat (mostly because inside was at max capacity), but being an outdoor cat is a bit of a rough life.
You've got to be looking over your shoulder for coyotes, hawks, and the raccoons that think your kibble is more than a little tasty.
And as you get up in kitty years, that life gets a bit rougher.
We suspect Gray Kitty's hearing isn't what it used to be, and she was not eating well (we suspect probably due to being too jumpy about the other area residents) and losing weight. So we have some big kitty cages in the basement for foster kitties, so we moved her into one of those. Now that doesn't make the resident basement cat (Firestar) very happy because the main reason she's down there is she doesn't get along with other cats. So domino affect is Firestar gets reassigned to a 3 tier kitty condo on the other end of the basement. That's fine for the short term, but can't last long.
And Big Red (the other outdoor cat) has been having encounters with either our honeybees or something else that bites or stings, so he's had a few fat lips and/or swollen cheeks. That means vet bills, so for now he's also in a big kitty cage in the basement.
The current arrangement isn't sustainable so the solution is to provide some outside space that is safe and allows us to rotate the current basement crew outside. So thus, a catio.
If you're not familiar with catios, there's a variety of them for sale online. Just think along the lines of a dog house or chicken coop with a fenced area. Now the problem with most of the online offerings is they're rather small. And not cheap. And the cheaper they are, the worse the quality (according to the reviews).
None of that is a good thing, so on to Plan B, build our own catio.
Plans were available on the Internet. Not perfect, but a good starting point that we could work from.
Multiple trips to the hardware stores (try and find 40+ STRAIGHT pressure treated 2x2!!) to gather all our supplies.
They're now spread out across our patio in preparation for measuring, cutting and assembly.
We'll build a panel at a time and then assemble up on the far end of our deck.
We'll add a roof to keep the rain out and provide shade. The walls will all be screened with fine mesh hardware cloth. Inside will be a small shelter (and a covered area for a litter box), and we'll be adding shelves up the sides for catnaps.
We think they're going to like it!
Now the challenge, finding the time to put it all together!
Today, it was condo showing and beekeeping.
Maybe tomorrow?? :)
Serving Greater Cincinnati home buyers and sellers,
Bill & Liz aka BLiz
Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas
The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, CRS, Ohio License SAL.2002007747
William (Bill) Spear, CRS, Ohio License SAL.2004011109 Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!
Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OH
Bill Direct: 513-520-5305
Liz Direct: 513-265-3004
Fax: 866-302-8418
MailTo: Liz@LizSpear.com
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